Feeler device for moving runs of sheet material



Jan. 19, 1965 A. LEIMER ET AL FEELER DEVICE FOR MOVING RUNS 0F SHEET MATERIAL Filed June 5. 1962 3 Sheets-Sheet l IN V EN TORS ALBERT LE/ME'Q SIEFE/ED gem/me Am ENEfS Jan. 19, 1965 A. LEIMER ETAL 3,166,651

FEELER DEVICE FOR MOVING RUNS 0F saw" MATERIAL Fig.5

IN V EN TORS ALBEKT LE/MER J/EGFR'IED BEu/V/VEE BY MM/W' Jan. 19, 1965 A. LEIMER ETAL 3,166,551

FEELER DEVICE FOR MOVING RUNS OF SHEET MATERIAL Filed June 5, 1962 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 IN VEN TOR5 445m?" LE/HER JIEGHIED MUN-NR MMM United States Patent 8 Claims. (31: 2-0061.13)

The invention concerns a feeler device of the kind (hereinafter termed of the kind referred to) for sensing the edge position of moving runs of sheet material especially the selvedge of textile material, and adapted to actuate control means to correct deviations of said edge from its correct position.

Arrangements are known wherein a cloth run is controlled by a pair of rollers through which the run passes on each of the selvedges of the cloth run and disposed with their axes at an angle to the selvedge of the cloth run on each of the selvedge edges thereof.

Such rollers are engaged with or released from the cloth run as required by mechanical, electrical or pneumatic means responsive to some feeler device which records the lateral position of the selvedge edges.

Further pairs of rollers have been used as a mechanical feeler device and these are caused to rotate when the cloth selvedge wanders therebetween and such rotation causes the control rollers adjacent this selvedge to lift over a mechanical reduction gear. Assoon as the cloth selvedge leaves the feeler rollers they are usually returned to their original position by a spring so that they are ready for the next control process. The disadvantage herein is that the feeler rollers must first swivel and describe a certain rotational angle, before the control rollers on the cloth run guide are eased. Furthermore, as already explained, the feeler rollers must be returned to their original position after the process of control, which takes a certain time. This time delay causes, when the cloth moves at a high speed, a certain lateral disturbance of the cloth run which sets the cloth run into a certain, even if not always present, steady oscillation between the cloth guides so that no accurate guidance can be maintained. The electrically and pneumatically operated control rollers are usually responsive to so-called feeler levers which lie against the edge of the cloth.

The wandering edge of the cloth presses such a feeler lever laterally and this after a certain amount of movement actuates either an electrical switch or a valve and causes the control rollers to correct the lateral position of the selvedge of the cloth run. These devices have the disadvantage, that due to their necessary weight of construction, they are relatively sluggish in operation and, furthermore, due to the feeling pressure required, damage the cloth selvedge.

It is an object of the invention to provide an arrangement which overcomes at least to some extent the disadvantages aforesaid.

According to the present invention, a feeler device of the kind referred to comprises two rotatable discs, an electrically conductive contact ring secured to one face of each of said discs, said discs being arranged in such a manner that said contact rings are adapted to make contact with each other, and are adapted to be separated by 3,166,651 Patented Jan. 19, 1965 the edge of said sheet material when wandering from its correct position towards the feeler device.

It is proposed to provide a pair of plate-like discs adjacent the cloth selvedges, one disc arranged above the other, the two adapted to operate as a switch responsive to movement of the selvedge, the switch being in a circuit adapted to actuate control means to correct the lateral position of the selvedge.

The arrangement can, for example, be in the style of a pair of plate-like discs arranged at an angle to one another, the one being in position of the mirror image of the other, the discs being rotatable and mounted on axles. The discs are in contact with one another at one position, and the line of the axle of the lower disc and the axle of the upper disc are at an obtuse angle to one another. It is further arranged that the common point of contact between the plate discs lies in a line which preferably runs at an angle of 45 to the cloth selvedge through the central point of rotation of the pair of discs.

A cloth run, wandering laterally, is so led that it comes between the plate discs of a pair thereof and, indeed, in such a way that the cloth arrives in the point or line of contact whereupon the electric connection between the upper and lower discs is broken and such a switching operation may serve to ease the pressure of control rollers on a cloth run guide.

Such a feeler device is positioned on each side of a cloth run guide and each serves to actuate control rollers on each side.

If, as for example, it is proposed, the contact line of the plate discs runs aslant the selvedge of the cloth, a component of force arises at right angles to the line of contact which operates in such a way that the cloth selvedge receives the efiect of a force in the direction of wander so that the cloth run between an opened pair of control rollers of the cloth run guide cannot be drawn too far in an uncontrolled manner against the direction of wander by the pressurised control rollers on the opposite selvedge edge of the cloth run. The said force acts therefore as a brake on the correcting movement and steadies same. The amplitude of the undesirable oscillation observed in known systems of cloth run control is restricted by this invention to the utmost minimum so that a high accuracy of control is attained.

. The switch frequency in the plate disc system is very high due to the small oscillatory deflections of the cloth run so that the sluggish masses of the movable control rollers of a cloth run guide only execute a barely noticeable movement.

Naturally the device according to the invention can also be used where sensing of the cloth selvedge is necessary in order to start guide-control or signal processes.

The feeler device according to the invention will now be described further with reference to the accompanying drawings, which show by way of example only one embodiment of the invention.

Of the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a side elevation of a pair of plate discs;

FIG. 2 is a reduced plan (according to FIG. 1 seen from above) with a cloth run between the plate discs;

FIG. 3 is a schematic illustration to explain the relative speed between plate discs and cloth run;

FIGS. 4 and 5 show the feeler device embodied in a cloth run guide, in plan, when the cloth run is not be- 3. tween the contacts of the plate discs and the control rollers of the guide are closed; and

FIGS. 6 and 7 show the feeler device embodied in a cloth run guide, likewise in plan when the cloth run is between the contacts of the plate discs and the control rollers of the guide are open.

Referring now to FIG. 1, contacts rings 3 and 4 are fitted into a pair of plate-like discs 1 and 2. The contact rings 3 and 4 are of like size and the discs 1 and 2 are formed from an insulating material. The discs 1 and 2 are carried on axles 5 and 6, respectively, and the axle 5 makes an oblique angle a with the axle 6. The axle d is electrically connected with the contact ring 3 by metal strip 7, and the axle 6 is likewise electrically co'nnected with the contact ring 4 by a metal strip 8. The

"axle 5 is carried in ball bearings 9 mounted in a spring arm 10 and the axle 6 is carried in ball bearings 11 mounted in spring arm 12. The carriers 10 and 12 are rigidly connected by an insulating member 13. Electrical connections 14 and 15 are provided on the arms 1t) and 12. The rings 3 and 4 are arranged in contact with one another at a point A.

A cloth run 16 (FIG. 2) moving in the direction of the arrow Q breaks the electrical contact between the rings 3 and 4 on entry therebetween at the point A. The

point A is arranged on a line X which makes an angle of 45 to the approaching cloth selvedge 16. The cloth run 16 moving in the direction of arrow Q drives the discs 1 and 2 in the direction of the arrow Y.

A resultant R is produced by the momentary direction of movement P of the contact point A which strives to draw the cloth run 16 in the direction R, and causes smooth "operation as explained above. The breaking of the electric contact between contact rings 3 and 4 produnes an easing of the rollers 18 and 19 as in FIG. 6

in FIG. 3, VQ represents the speed of the cloth run 16 and VU the rotational speed of the discs 1 and 2. The

"difference between VQ and VU produces a relative move ment between the cloth run 16 and the contact rings 3, 4. Consequently a constant slipping of the cloth run 16 1s present over the contact rings 3 and 4,'whereby the contact surfaces are continuously cleaned which is important for reliable functioning.

Referring now to FIGS. 4 and 5, the device is shown Incorporated on a cloth run guide 17.

Inthe condition shown, the cloth run 16 does not lie between the rings 3 and 4 at the point A as it does in FIGURE 2, but instead slanting rollers 18 and 19 are pressed together by forces S and S produced, for example, by an electromagnet (not shown) energised by the contact made between the rings 3 and 4 at A (as in FIG. 1). Due to the slanted disposition of the rollers 18' and 19 with respect to the cloth run 16, the latter is i and 4 thereby de-energising the electro-magnet and removing the forces S and S Consequently, the rollers 18 and 19 of the cloth guide 1'7 do not press together and the cloth run 16 lies loosely between them. In this condition the control rollers and feeler device on the opp site selvedge of the cloth are as shown in FIG. 5 and the cloth run 16 is drawn to such opposite side. The return movement of the cloth run 16 is however braked by the force R at contact point A on the other side and smoothed down so that the cloth run 16 cannot be pulled out of the rollers 18 and 19 in a jerky or uncontrolled manner. The return force exerted on the opposite selvedge by the slanted rollers of this cloth run guide is however er than the force R on the plate discs so that very shortly the position shown in FIG. 6 reverts to that shown in FIG. 5. A swift'yet smooth pscillation of small ampli- 4% tude between the conditions as in FIGS. 4 and 6 takes place. a

It should be further explained that the plate discs 1 and 2 have chamferings towards the edges of the opposing surfaces that is as shown in FIG. 1 adjacent the contact rings 3 and 4.

It is also worthy of note that the contact rings 3 and 4 project to some extent from the surface of the plate discs. This measure ensures that (as shown in FIG. 1) there is a gap in the area of contact point A defined by approximately parallel faces.

The open width of this gap, that is the amount of projection of the contact rings 3 and 4 from the surfaces is so determined that even the thickest quality of cloth may be accommodated therein even when the contact rings touch (as in FIG. 5).

We claim:

1. Apparatus for controlling lateral shifting of running sheet material comprising,

a pair of substantially circular discs both adapted to rotate about respective axes which are substantially collinear and substantially perpendicular to the plane of said sheet material,

resilient support means for at least one of said discs normally urging said discs toward each other and into contact at at least that portion of their circumferent-ial portions most closely adjacent a selvedge of said sheet material,

and means responsive to the separation of said contacting portions of said discs for laterally shifting said sheet material. 2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said axes of said discs make an obtuse angle with each other facing the 'selvedge of said sheet material, whereby said discs are adapted to contact each other only attheir respective circumferential portions lying adjacent the selvedge of said sheet material.

3. Apparatus according to claim 2 wherein the inwardly facing edges of said discs are ohamfered outwardly from each other.

4. Apparatus according to claim 2 wherein the line joining the point of contact between said contact rings and the axis of rotation of either of said discs forms.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said discs are electrically non-conductive and each disc carries an electrically conductive ring on the face thereof facing-the other of said discs, each said ring positioned on its respective disc to normally contact the other ring, and electro-responsive means connected to said rings for laterally shifting said sheet material when said rings are not in electrical contact with each other.

6. Apparatus according to claim 5 in which said re silient support means is provided for each of said discs and further includes an electrical connection on each of said support means, and means for providing an electrically conductive path for each disc between its respective support means and its respective conductive ring,.said electro-responsive means being connected between said electrical connections on said respective support means.

7. Apparatus according to claim 5 wherein said contact rings protrude from the faces of said discs, the cross-section of the protruding parts having an outwardly extending radius.

8. A feeler device of the kind referred to comprising two rotatable discs, journal means for said discs providing for rotation of both said discssubstantially in the plane of the sheet material, an electrically conductive contact ring secured toone face of each of said discs, said journal means being adapted to position said discs for contact between their respective rings, and also adaptedtovpermit "separation by the edge of said sheet material when run of sheet material, and electro-r'esponsive means'for 5 controlling said roller means to shift said sheet material when the respective rings of said discs are separated by said sheet material.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 468,120 2/92 Thomson 200-166 642,141 1/00 Lyon 226-45 2,179,517 11/39 Pelosi 200-61.13

6 r 2,410,249 10/46 Spencer 200-61.l3 2,809,243 10/57 Marx 200166 3,013,513 12/61 Judelson 22617 FORElGN PATENTS 168,723 9/21 Great Britain.

BERNARD A. G-ILHEANY, Primary Examiner ROBERT K. SCHAEFER, Examiner. 

1. APPARATUS FOR CONTROLLING LATERAL SHIFTING OF RUNNING SHEET MATERIAL COMPRISING, A PAIR OF SUBSTANTIALLY CIRCULAR DISCS BOTH ADAPTED TO ROTATE ABOUT RESPECTIVE AXES WHICH ARE SUBSTANTIALLY COLLINEAR AND SUBSTANTIALLY PERPENDICULAR TO THE PLANE OF SAID SHEET MATERIAL, RESILIENT SUPPORT MEANS FOR AT LEAST ONE OF SAID DISCS NORMALLY URGING SAID DISCS TOWARD EACH OTHER AND INTO CONTACT AT AT LEAST THAT PORTION OF THEIR CIRCUMFERENTIAL PORTIONS MOST CLOSELY ADJACENT A SELVEDGE OF SAID SHEET MATERIAL, AND MEANS RESPONSIVE TO THE SEPARATION OF SAID CONTACTING PORTIONS OF SAID DISCS FOR LATERALLY SHIFTING SAID SHEET MATERIAL. 